


Waking Up In A New World

by FFW2000



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Cat Ears, Discrimination, Elf, Fantasy, Magic, Monsters, POV Female Character, POV First Person, Quests, Role-Playing Game, Swordfighting, Swords & Sorcery, Video Game Mechanics, Virtual Reality, catfolk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:55:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25024288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FFW2000/pseuds/FFW2000
Summary: After waking up in a new world, I find myself in a position to be anything I want to be, but not everything is right in this world I now call home. With a new body and no knowledge of the world, I have been thrust into. I try to make a life for myself as dark forces move in the shadows.
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1: Welcome to a New World

Waking Up In A New World

Part 1: Arrival

Chapter 1: Welcome to a New World

**I have never been a person who was good at dealing with unexpected situations. I remember one time when I first left home, a pipe burst, and if it wasn't for my dad being there at the time, I'm sure my apartment would have been flooded. Needless to say, I found it a necessary part of my everyday life to be surrounded by capable people who can deal with the unknown for me.**

**_"How did I get here?"_ **

I blink as I open my eyes and see sunlight filtering through the canopy of leaves above my head while the smell of nature assaults my nose. I can't help but sense at the scent only to find my hands are unusually soft and warm.

**_"What the hell?!"_ **

I could barely suppress that thought from being screamed from my lips. My hands they are covered in fur scratch that my whole arms, no wait my body is covered in brown fur. I have no idea what's happened to my body but examining myself further I even find a tail and yes I can also make it move but knowing that I have control over its movement does little to help me deal with the shock of seeing what's happening to my body.

How could this have happened to me? It's not that I'm a shut-in, but I'm pretty sure I would have turned down any offer someone gave me to come with them to the woods. I prefer the bricks of the city and its ordered labelled streets over any empty stretches of nature any day even if they happen to be famous for their beauty. The city is safer, as long as I follow the street signs, there's no way I can get lost unlike in the woods where it can take weeks for a search party to find me.

Not only am I somehow in the woods, but my body has morphed into something not human. It still is similar to my old body. I have one head, two eyes, a nose, mouth and ten fingers and toes but yet different enough to the point where I don't think I can be called a human anymore. For instance, in place of my human ears, I have a set of soft ears that reminds me of my parent's cats, my nose is also slightly pointed, I have a tale, and on top of that, I also found that I can extend and retract Sharpe claws on the tips of my fingers.

**_"What in the world happened to me?"_ **

The last thing I remember doing before waking up in this forest was sitting in front of my computer searching through job sites and applying for anything I could. It has been tough ever since the last company I worked for went bankrupt, but just when things were looking up for me, this had to happen to me. I just had a job interview that seemed to go well and even if that feel through I still had several more interviews booked this week, and then that email arrived… I remember now! I just finished reading through that email that offered me a reasonable sum of money for doing some product testing for them and then there was a bright light after I clicked the link to take me to their website and everything went black.

**_"Did they have something to do with this?"_ **

I can't help but feel like whoever sent me that email definitely did something to me. Somehow I know they are the ones who are responsible for putting me in this forest and altering my body into its current form. Why would they do something like that? How could they do this? I didn't think it was possible to do whatever they did to me to make my body the way it is, but they most have found a way. Thinking about it there is no other explanation I can think of to explain what has happened to me other then the person who sent that email is somehow behind it. But that begs the question as to why would they do this? What would they have to gain from altering my body and dumping me in the woods?

**_Bzzz… Bzzz… Bzzz…_ **

**_"Is that a phone? What's this?_ **

As I was trying to figure out what was going on a buzzing sound like a phone on vibrate suddenly feels the quiet woods and seconds later, an icon of a telephone appears right in front of me. I hesitate only a second before reaching forward and pressing a finger onto the icon. I don't think how doing so could possibly make my situation any worse.

"Ah, I finally found you," A friendly, excited voice cheers in my ear the moment I answer the call that is somehow familiar to me. The voice sounds like it belongs to a young man, but I can't think of a name or face that matches his voice, but I still feel like I know him from somewhere. "I was worried we lost you with that system spike, but it looks like you arrived safely in my world. How are you feeling? Are you hurt? Have headaches? Feel like your body is falling apart?"

"I'm fine," I tell him when I can finally get a word in. "But where am I?"

"Oh dear, it seems that system spike my have caused you to lose some of your memory," He mutters to himself sounding disappointed. "We will have to alter the equipment to account for this in the future. Tell me what is the last thing you can remember?"

"The last thing I remember is answering an email about doing some product testing," I tell him.

"Yes, you agreed to test our new game, but that was two days ago," He replies calmly, but I feel myself start to panic on the inside. **_"Two days!"_** How could I not remember two whole days? "The important thing is that you are okay and safely arrived in the world we created. Give me a seconded it seems your hud isn't active, but I can bring it online for you."

Wow… I nearly jump the moment my hub appears. In the right upper corner, I see a picture of me with an HP and Mp bar next to it and discover I… LOOK LIKE A CAT!. Brown fur covers my feline face, and my ears really are cat ears just as I suspected looking cute poking through my slightly darker short brown hair. My eyes are also brown, and my face looks like a younger version of me. I really am not human any more…

"Hey, it's okay calm down alright, and I'll explain everything," The kind man assures me, but it does little to improve my current state. "Your body if fine in my companies lab and is currently in an advanced virtual reality chamber which works similar to a cryo pod from the movies while your mind has been transferred to this game world. I can assure you that you are safe and no matter what happens to you in that world you won't die."

"Okay…" I take a breath trying to calm down and process everything that's happening. "So I am in a game you made, but something went wrong and coursed me to lose my memory, right?"

"Correct but rest assured we will not let anything like that happen again so relax and enjoy yourself here," The man tells me. "I was planning on putting you in a town at first, but their system spike caused you to end up here, so I give you a bonus quest to reach the nearby city of Embershire and even throw in some extra gold and exp for completing then you would normally receive from a quest like this."

On the top left of my vision, a minimap appears with a green flag appearing at the top indicating some destination too far away to appear on the map. The map is in colour, but all I see is a dark green, thanks to the trees, surrounding a dark blue dot in the centre of the map that I assume is me. The map doesn't give me any information like names of locations, but maybe that will change the when I get near that city the kind man mentioned.

"But be warned there are monsters in this world, and this forest is home to many kinds of beasts that won't hesitate to attack you but with the… dam, it seems you have also lost your equipment thanks to that system spike," The kind man lets out a sigh. "Give me a moment, and I will reissues them immediately."

He's right now that I have calmed down and started to look passed my cat-like body I can't help but feel embarrassed when I notice the only thing I am wearing is a short pair of white shorts and matching sports bra. I really wished he would have mention something so I could have covered myself sooner by just as I start to wrap my arms around my body clothing suddenly starts to materialise. As a jacket and covers my torso and torso my legs well, a pair of boots appear on my feet and a backpack on my back. The material feels like my fathers old leather biking jacket but harder and somehow more comfortable too. But despite the clothing, I still make a mental note to buy some new clothes when I reach Embershire. I could use some proper clothing to wear other than this, but most importantly I need some socks as already I can feel my feet start to rub against my boots. I really hope this game doesn't let its characters get blisters.

As soon as I am dressed, a sword appears on my waist. It isn't a long blade and doesn't feel as heavy as I heard people say swords really are, but I'm still scared to touch it. Do I really have to fight? I might not have any problems with violence in games, but in real life, I'm a coward, and just the sight of blood is enough to make me feel sick. But because this is a game I feel like I have no choice but to engage in combat at some point.

"Now that that is taken care of allow me to explain to you about this game," The kind mans voice returns. "In this game, there are no objectives or big bosses to fight you are free to live your life as you please in this fantasy world setting. If you want to be a trader you can, an adventure then you can join the guild, and you can even become a great hero or evil villain in this world. Whatever you want to do and whoever you want to be, you can be that person or do that thing in this game. I won't tell you who what to do just enjoy this game while we monitor the data you provide. Oh, I forgot to mention in real life only eight hours will pass, but in there, it will be eight years for you."

"Eight years?!" I could contain my surprise hearing that.

"I know it must be a shock to hear, you were just as surprised in real life too but remember currently your mind is in a dream-like state and time in your dreams always moves slower then it does in real life, and that is something my new virtual reality software takes advantage of," He explains. "I have to go now, but I wish you enjoy your time in this world, oh and before I go hit that button at the bottom of your screen it will show you information on the character you built before entering the game. Goodbye, for now, I look forward to hearing what you experience in there when you return to the real world."

"Wait I…" I'm too late as the call ends and his voice disappears. I still had plenty of questions I wanted to ask him, but it looks like those will have to wait.

I really wanted to know more about this world and the systems of this game too, but I guess I have to find out for myself. I have a feeling he would have told me to find out this way as well, so it might not have made too much of a difference in not asking him in the end. So what to do first? I guess I might as well press that button at the bottom of the screen, which instantly brings up a display that takes up my of my vision. Right, it looks like a full picture of me is in the centre with a current status screen on the right which I guess will indicate any problems like poisoning if that were to ever happen to me. Below that is an achievement screen which so far only is empty. I'm not sure if that will change given that this game is still in testing, but I am fired up with the idea of trying to earn some tough to get achievement. It always makes me feel proud to see that only three or four percent of the players have achieved what I did in a game.

On the right is the more interesting screens. On top is my Ability Scores, and it seems I made myself a rouge-like character before entering the game world. My Strength score is only ten giving me a plus zero while Dexterity is at eighteen, giving me a plus-four. This system reminds me of a tabletop game I used to play, but if the kind man that put me in this game created a fantasy world, I wouldn't be surprised if he told me he was a fan of that game too. The rest of my ability isn't much with my Wisdom and Charisma giving me only a plus one while my Constitution score gives me nothing. My only bad score is my Intelligence score at eight, which give me a minus one. I guess I must have sacrificed points there to raise other stats. I can't remember if being a catfolk… catperson or whatever my race is called gave me any extra points, but it wouldn't surprise me if that were the case like it was in that tabletop game.

Anyway, back on track, my Skills & Abilities screen is below my Ability Scores. I can't help but think they need to change one of those names as calling two things abilities my confuse some players once this game is released. Back back to my Skills & Abilities were I see I have again made a rouge-like character with Improved Stealth and Improved Sleight of Hand with gives me two extra points in those skills as well as claws. Now that is something I know is related to my characters race as I see their stats are one damage plus my strength score which is, unfortunately, zero right now so it doesn't look like my claws will be seeing much action in the foreseeable future.

Closing that screen with the press of the same button that opened I return back to the forest and decide that my next step should be to check my backpack and see what other supplies I was given to start. Taking it off I ope the lightness to the bag isn't a sign that it is empty and open it open. I don't see anything but when I reach inside to double-check a new screen appears. I wish I were told in advance about this games storge system. Anyway, inside my backpack, I find to my delight some useful starting items. A loaf of bread and waterskin which tells me this game has a hunger and thirst system in place, again that was something I would have liked to know in advance, and I also have three HP potions and three MP Potions. I guess this means I can expect some combat no matter what I choose to do in this world. The last thing I notice is that I have five gold coins.

Closing my backpack and putting it back, I decided I might as well head for that city, my first quest is telling me to go to. It's not a bad plan, and I will probably find safety from the monsters there so even without the reward. I just hope that Embershire isn't too far away. I always hated long hikes and how tired they make me feel. Hopefully, that won't be the case in this fantasy game world. I really hope it is.

* * *

I walk for an hour, and I am grateful for that green flag on my minimap as I'm sure without it, I would have got turned around in this forest countless times by now. But I'm not grateful for all this walking as the forest still shows no signs of ending any time soon. At least the weather is nice with a warm sun and a cooling breeze. This weathers nice, but I wish I could fully enjoy it rather than continue to walk through this endless forest filled with nothing but trees. Come to think of it wasn't I told that monsters call this forest home, but I haven't seen a single one of them. I have seen large footprints of a creature I hope I don't see any time soon but an actually sighing has yet to happen. Maybe this forest has a low spawn count when it comes to monsters.

I wonder what kind are in this forest. I can see a rabbit and fox-like monster roaming between the trees as well as bird and tree types but unless they are few in number they must only appear in certain parts of the forest. But what if they are around? What if there is a pack of beast hidden behind the trees closing in on me as I speak just waiting for the right moment to… I can't think like that! I shake my head, feeling my body tremble at the thought of being ambushed by a pack of monsters. But speak of the devil, and he will appear.

I stop the moment I hear the twig snap. I don't know whether it is my natural instincts or a system in the game, but I can instantly feel the danger I am in and draw my sword out before I have a chance to realise what's happening. The blade feels light in my hand and despite my fear of the weapon it feels oddly comfortable in my hand, but I don't have time to think about it as the first monster I will encounter in this world steps out of a nearby bush. My body shakes harder than before as a giant warthog steps out in front of me and lets out a growl the moment our eyes meet.

**_"Am I really going to have to fight this thing?!"_ **

My mind screams at me to flee, but my body is frozen with fear. I have to move! I have to get out of here! But no matter how hard I try, my body refuses to move. My sword visibly shakes from side to side in my hands as my eyes stay glued to the warthog. The monster meanwhile starts scraping its hoofs across the floor, kicking up dirt and making a scraping sound clearly preparing to charge. I have to move! I try to, but my body is still refusing to work with me right before the beast starts to charge towards me.

"I have to move!" I yell, which finally gets my body to respond, and I manage to dive out of the way at the last minute.

I hit the ground and roll back to my feet with ease. That must be thanks to my stats as I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to move so fluidly in real life. The warthog rams headfirst into the thick trunk of one of the trees, and I notice the health bar above it decrease slightly but not enough to warrant a celebration. This thing is tough. I'm not surprised seeing how this monster is twice the size as the warthogs I saw in the zoo, but that's to be expected from a monster. The game makers have to make them more threatening than their real-life counterparts.

Watch the warthog I watch the beast get to its feet and turn to face me again preparing another charge. Okay, it looks like this monster attacks with charge attack trying to impale its opponents on its long sharp horns. That's good to know. It doesn't make this monster less frightening, but if I know its attack patterns, I can counter its assaults. I just have to do what I usually do in these situations, learn the ai's attack patterns and find a weakness in them and I think I see one hear, but I have to wait and see if that's the case. When the warthog charges me again, I get a chance to see if I was right.

It chargers just as fast as before, but this time with better control of my body I can dodge the warthog's rush more easier this time around. Once again the monster hits a tree and a tiny bit of HP is lost, but unlike last time I don't wait for my foe to recover. I run towards the creature, and I'm guessing that Dexterity counts as speed in this world as I find myself moving faster then I anticipated nearly hitting the tree as well, but I manage to control my movement quickly and avoid that fate.

"You're mine now!" I couldn't help but yell things like that at my computer screen, and it looks like I can't stop myself know as my sword stabs into the warthog's side before it can get back to its feet.

"Ghhhh!" The warthog lets out a painfilled growl as I pull my blade out of its flesh, causing blood to leave the wound but oddly I feel nothing at the sight of the injury.

I guess my real bodies weakness doesn't affect my character at all. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to win this fight as the warthog's health bar only goes down to around thirty percent, but it steadily drops at a low rate which leads me to believe this game has a bleed out system in place. The monster staggers to its feet standing unsteady but shows no signs of admitting defeat.

"Still want some more do ya?" I ask feeling my confidence grow the longer the fight goes one. It isn't as scary now that I know its attack pattern and some more about my character.

What follows isn't some epic last stand moment made by the warthog or even some heroic comeback on its part but a pathetic display. The monster charges towards me, but it lacks the speed it once had instead stumbling its way forward. I start to feel sorry for it and feeling more like I am killing it to put the beast out of its misery rather than killing it in self-defence. Never the less this fight will only end when one of us is dead, so I raise my sword and get ready to end this.

I rush the warthog using my speed to flank it before changing direction and running my sword through the monster's side, killing the beast. There isn't a body left behind as it slowly turns into a cloud of black smoke while words appear above where the monster fell.

**"Victory."**

**"Exp: 25."**

**"Items Dropped: Warthog Meat X1, Warthog Pelt X1."**

I did it. I actually beat that thing. My very first victory in this word. I can't keep the smile off of my lips as I struggle to stop myself from leaping with joy. All my fear fades away as the black cloud of smoke evaporates, leaving no traces behind of the beast I just slew. I was so excited that I barely notice a blue bar appear to blow my HP and MP bars and slowly fill to twenty-five percent before vanishing once again. I guess I am level one, so that level of growth is to be expected, but I still can't help but feel proud by the growth. This game isn't a scary now that I defeated my first monster.

* * *

After my first fight, I decided to do some experiment as I continue to head towards Embershire and learn a few more things about my character not wanting to be caught out by my abilities again like I was by my speed back in that fight with the warthog. And through my discovery, I learned a few interesting things about my character.

First of all, not only has my speed enhanced in this world, but I can also jump twice as much as I could in the real world. I was able to obtain fifteen low hanging fruit called Bright Barriers and learned that at least when it comes to Bright Barries, I can only stack things in groups of ten. If I earn enough money, I will have to try it out with other stuff once I reach the city. I also need to learn about weight in this game as so far my backpack still feel like it's empty. Not that I'm complaining about not having to carry around a heavy bag wherever I go, I would prefer things if that wasn't the case and my backpack stays light regardless of whatever I stuff in there. Come to think of it I wonder if there is a limit on how much I can put in there. There probably is, but that's another thing to test when I have the chance.

The second thing I learned was that I don't feel tired from doing physical activities or even sweat. That one relief but I also learned that thirst effects are a real pain as even the minor case of dehydration I experienced left me with lowered my Strength and Dexterity by one point and left my throat feeling dry. I would really hate to go through anything worse than that and made a mental note to always bring plenty of food and water with me wherever I go.

The final thing I learned was that my senses are shaper in this world. My eyesight, for example, allows me to see things slightly further away then in real life, not by much but its still a noticeable improvement. My hearing is also better although its hard to tell by how much so ii will have to test that out furth when I get to the city. I don't know if my sense of smell has improved, but if I am a catfolk that it would surprise me if it were.

Those tests I performed not only allowed me to learn more about my character but also helped passed the time as before I knew it, I was reaching the outskirts of the forest. I could already see the trees on my minimap start to thin for a few minutes and then for grassy fields to appear, but now I can see the end of this massive forest with my own eyes. It feels so good to be getting out of here, and for the first time on this trip, I feel like I am making progress on my quest to reach the city Embershire. I really hope it isn't too far as I finally step out of the trees and onto the grassy field.

**_"Now that's a sight,"_ **

As soon as I step out from the trees, the wind blows wrapping around my body and brings the scent of the field of flowers with it, but the sight of all those flowers isn't what took my breath away. In the distance, I see the walls of a city painted a pure white, so they reflect the sunlight and giant statues of nights decorating the walls. It's just what you would expect from a fantasy city, impractical but beautiful to look at. That must be the city of Embershire. A quick check of my minimap confirms it is and I set off running. I really can't wait until I get to see my first city in this world up close.

* * *

**AN**

* * *

Please Kudos and Subscribe, and if you have any idea or suggestions, please feel free to share them with me. I’ll be happy to hear about ideas for characters, spells, monster or locations, so please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any ideas.


	2. Chapter 2: Embershire

Chapter 2: Embershire

**I don't travel much. It's not that I don't enjoy it or feel excited and wonder when seeing something for the first time but travelling always brings with it a feeling of Sworrow to me. I guess it's my mother's fault as my earliest memory is of my dad driving me all around town in search of her the day she walked out on us.**

Now, this is what you would expect of a fantasy world. Fields of wheat flank either side of me, but I pay the crops little attention with my gaze fixed on the white walls in front of me. Two giant statues of knights holding a spear in one hand and a shield in the other stand on either side of a gate fare larger than anything you will see in real life while knights that look like they are from the fairy tale books guarding the gate will being clad from head to toe in heavy-looking armour. Hopefully, I won't have a problem with them as they look tough and the halberds they are holding look scary.

Feeling slightly intimidated, I slowly approach the gate. It's open, and people are coming and going so it shouldn't be a problem for me just to walk on through. At least I hope that's the case. I really hope that's the case. The closer I get, the more nervous I feel as I see the guards start to stare at me, and I can't help but want to turn around only stepping forward by shire will power.

"You there!" I jump the moment a giant of a man steps out in front into the road and points at me. "I haven't seen you around here before. State the reason for your visit."

What am I going to do? I hardly believe that he will by me saying **_"The creator of your world gave me a quest to come here,"_ **so I have to think of something. I have never been good when put on the spot like this. What do I tell him? I can't think of a thing as my mind goes blank. Come on think of something. Anything is better than not answering.

"I'm just visiting," I quickly blurt out before my silence makes the situation any worse for me.

The giant in front of me folds his arms clearly not happy with my answer. He's a tall man who easily towers over me and is covered in thick armour like the other guards only he's missing his helmet. The man is bold and stares at me with cold grey eyes that make me feel so weak and pathetic with only their gaze. This man is frightening, and my fear of him only grows when I notice the massive axe on his back.

"Just visiting are you?" The man replies with a cold, soulless voice. "Who are you visiting exactly?"

"No one," I answer knowing how bad of a lier I am I would only put my foot in my mouth if I try to make up a story to complex. "I'm just travelling and passing through Embershire."

"Of course you are," He mutters. "I Imperial spy would only be passing through."

"I'm not a spy!" I accidentally yell at him. I told you I was never good under pressure and losing control like that only proves that to be the case in this world too.

"Then you would mind proving your innocents by taking the status check," He says as I hear footsteps behind me only to see two guards blocking my exit. I sigh, seeing no other way out of this situation.

"Fine," I shake my head. "I'll do what you want."

"Excellent," He smiles. "Follow me."

Seeing no choice as the guards behind me pushes me forward, I start to follow the cruel giant to some building just inside the wall. The creator of this game better not have set me up to be some villain. Or did I decide that I wanted to be one? Agh! It's so hard to tell with my memory of the last two days gone. I better not be a spy and find myself under arrest as soon as I reach my first city in this world. I have enough dislike of travelling as it is already so I can barely afford to have anything else added to that negative list.

Why would I even want to be a spy anyway? I did like those spy books and movies I used to own, but I would never have wanted to be a spy. Also, why would the maker of this world make people afraid of spies infiltrating their cities? If I were in charge of making this world, I wouldn't have added waring nations unless this was the type of game where you lead a country to glory. Then again, I can also see some people wanting to be some great war hero. You can be whatever you want to be in this world after all so provided warmongers with a war to earn glory in makes sense when you look at it that way.

Anyway, I am brought back to my current situation by the creak of a door. The building I am taken to is attached to the city wall and guarded by another guard, but that's all I can see before I'm pushed inside by the guards behind me, and I am starting to feel like I made a mistake coming here the moment I step inside. There are no windows in this room, and the shadows are big enough to hide serval people inside, leaving me feeling anxious. The only light in the room comes from several candles along the walls, and the only object in the room is a single stone tablet on top of a small wooden table.

"This is where we learn the truth of all strangers that comes through our cities gate," The man tells me as he steps behind the stone tablet. "Place your hands on the tablet, and we will see if you are telling the truth."

My name! What is my name? I can't look at my character information screen without looking suspicious so I… thank god its there. I feel relief was over me as I see next to the picture of my character the name I have chosen to go by in this world. I guess the shock of seeing that I am a cat person now most have made me miss it the first time around and as calmly as I can I step up to the tablet and place my hand on top of the cold, smooth surface. I can't believe I gave my character the name of my neighbours cat.

"Suki," I say out loud, and moments later, the stone tablet glows blue.

In less than a second, a status screen appears showing not only my characters traits but also everything I have in my backpack. It shows everything from my characters traits o its skills which makes me sweat as I hope my Improved Stealth and Improved Sleight of Hand skills don't get me into trouble. What was I even thinking giving my character those skills? I should have just built a character that no one could ever find suspicious.

"While you do have some questionable skills, it appears you have no connection to the empire, so you are free to go," The giant tells me, but I was too nervous to feel relieved. "Just keep your hands to yourself, and we won't have any further issues."

"No way they would send a level one," I hear a guard comment, but I pay them little attention.

"I will," I promise as I was leaving the room.

As soon as the doors open while trying not to run out of there, it was such a creepy room with all those shadows that could hide anything that you couldn't blame me for running away. Not to mention that cruel giant guard who could have sliced me clean in two with his axe had he found sufficient evidence I was a spy. I really hope I can get as far away from that room and brute as soon as possible. Hopefully, I will never have to deal with anything like that again. But now that I'm free from that hell that begs the question. What am I to do now?

Looking around the city, I find myself on what appears to be the main street which is lined with stores, inns and taverns. While I might as well find a place to stay so I head off figuring I would check into the first in I find only for something to pop up as if mocking me for going through all that with the guards.

**"Congratulations Quest Complete!"**

**"Exp: 100."**

**"Gold Coins: 5."**

**"Level Up!"**

Well, he did say he would give me extra to make up for all that's happened, but the gold seems too much. I'm still not sure about the value of things in this world, but I could be wrong, but that sum of money feels like its too much. The Exp though I am not complaining about as I have levelled up and see under my characters heal and magic bar a notification that tells me I have points to spend. I'll ignore that for now and look into it when I check into an inn.

* * *

The first in I come to look beautiful. The buildings in this city are all made of stone, making the wooden structure of the inn stand out. Looking at the shape of the building, I suppose it could have been a stable at one time, but I could always ask the people that run this inn later about it if I get curious. This place really looks lovely with big windows and flowers growing outside. I hope there is a room here for me.

Stepping inside, I am greeted with the mouth-watering smell of food being cooked while a bell rings announcing my arrival. The inside of the inn is so cosy with wooden chairs and tables neatly arranged with a few customers eating large platefuls of meat, but I don't get to look around much further as an elderly man who walks with a cane appears at a counter to my left.

"Welcome to the Horse Shoe Inn," The man smiles. "Are you hear for a lunch or are you looking to rent a room."

I can't help but smile at the man. He reminds me of my own grandfather and seems so kind that I can't help but feel happy and relaxed around him.

"Both please," I reply with my own smile. "I would like to rent a room and have something to eat as well if that's all right."

"Of course," The man tells me as he hands me a form. "Meals are free for guests and rooms are two silver a night or seven nights for one gold. Please fill out that form and take a menu from the stack behind you and my granddaughter will take care of you. Since you are renting a room from us, your lunch will free. I wish you a pleasant stay at our inn."

"Thank you," I say before turning and picking up a menu.

I drop into the nearest free seat next to the window where I can enjoy the view of the busy street outside of the inn. This really is a different world from what I am used to. The street outside is still busy, but unlike the cars from the real world, I see people and horsedrawn carriages in their place. The air even feels different here. It feels more cleaner then what I am used to in the real world. I can't believe I am feeling this way, but I am starting to want to see more of this world. I thought my mother stole the joy of travel from me the day she left, but maybe this world could heal the scar she left.

"Here's your meal sir I hope you enjoy,"

I am brought out of my thoughts by a cheerful, energetic voice and turn to see a cute blonde haired waitress who looks like she is barely twelve but wears a bright smile on her lips and is a delight to look at. She seems like the type of girl who would never fail to bring a smile to your lips even if you were having the worse day of your life. I watch her disappearing to a back room carrying a large tray that should be impossible for her to lift but somehow she can carry it without breaking a sweat. That's a game world for ya. Only in a world like this will you see something like that. I guess I should look at the menu and pick something to eat before she comes to take my order.

Let's see what they have. The lamb stew looks tasty and so does the chicking legs, but they don't sound like the kind of things someone would order for lunch, so I keep looking and settle on the salad. I haven't had one in a well, but out of the lunch like items on the menu, it sounds the most appetising to me.

I have a feeling they must have been watching me as not a second passes between when I put the menu down, and the young waitress reappears. It must have been a just coincidence as I'm sure the staff here has better things to do than spy on their customers.

"Welcome to the Horse Shoe Inn," The young girl smiles brightly. "Are you ready to order."

"Yes, I'll have the salad please," I reply and the girl looks surprised for some reason.

"Oh, I thought beastfolk only eat meat," The girl comments as she writes down my order.

**_"Beastfolk,"_** I guess that's what my race is called. I was probably told that before I entered this world, but I can't remember thanks to that system spike. Memory loss really is a pain.

"I'm sure some do but can eat meals with or without," I tell the girl who just nods her head in response before running off back to the door I presume leads to the kitchen.

Several hours have passed, and I'm still learning more about my character. I really wish my memories of creating this character would return so I wouldn't have to need to learn all these things again. There's nothing I can do about it now so I take out that form the old man gave me and to my surprise it has a touch screen like interaction system in place so I wouldn't be needing to find a pen to use. The form is relatively simple with me just requiring to write my name, state the number of days I wish to stay, and how many people will be staying so I fill it out quickly putting one week down for the length of stay before signing the bottom. I had just finished filling out the form when the young girl returns with my meal.

"Here's your meal ma'am I hope you enjoy," She says before placing a plate of salad down in front of me and noticing the form in my hand. "If you are done with that I can take I to my grandfather and bring you your room key."

"Thank you," I say, handing her the form and a single gold coin for payment.

I watch the girl run off towards the front desk before turning back to my meal. Compared to food in the real world, the people here don't seem to care about presentation. I'm not sure if it is just here or everywhere, but my salad looks like someone just dopped the ingredients on my plate. It's not that big of a deal but being here really makes you appreciate the effort chiefs go through to make their dishes look as good as they taste. On the plus, I don't feel guilty about destroying a work of art when I stab my fork into the food.

**_"This game is unbelievable!"_ **

I can't believe they managed to include the sense of taste into this game. Sight and sound would be easy to make, smile and touch I can see happening, but the fact they have made a game where you can taste things is so unbelievable I have to have a second and third bite to confirm what my tastebuds are telling me. How did they do it? I was expecting it to taste like nothing but come to think of it the water I drank in that forest also tasted like water. I was too distracted by other things at the time but come to think of it the water did taste just like water does in the real world. This game is too good to be true.

* * *

That meal was surprisingly nice, and it was a pleasant discovery to find that this game has a taste function. I wonder what else this game can do.

Getting up from the table, I find myself unable to wait for dinner as I pick up my room key from the table. Room Five, the young waitress told me rooms are on the second floor and labelled, so it wasn't too hard to find my one. The room isn't much with just a double bed and wardrobe, but the view from the window isn't bad as I get to see the busy street below. I know most people wouldn't find this view anything special, but I guess it's the wonder of being in the new world that makes this view so appealing to me.

The room isn't as fancy as any of the hotels I've been to before, but it suits its purpose just fine. I'm not planning on spending much time in here anywhere apart from sleeping anyway… wait can you sleep in this game? Giving that there is hunger, thirst and even taste in this game so it wouldn't surprise me if there were asleep function too. But before I find that out, I want to explore more of this town and maybe try and seel those fruits and the drops from that monster before I turn in for the night but first I have those points to spend.

I'm not sure how to go about it, but my best bet is to go through my character screen, and as soon as I hit that button on the bottom of my vision I find out I was right. It looks like my hit points have automatically increased by five from ten to fifteen, but everything else has remained the same, but I now have the option to increase everything apart from my magical points. I guess they increase every two levels or maybe when I raise some skill level. Anyway, I have two points to spend on my abilities, so I put them both into Dexterity giving me a plus-five on the stat but maxing it out. I also have two skill points which I use to raise my stealth skill further deciding I will go with the character build I wanted before I entered this world. At least I think this is what I wanted. I really hope I regain my lost memories soon.

* * *

The breeze feels so nice and only makes me admire this game world more and more. Everything feels so real that if I weren't told this world was some simulation, I would have believed have thought this world was real. The wind, I can feel it's coolness brushing through my fur and the loss stones on the road I can feel shift under my boots. The people that made this world really did a great job, and I can't help but admire all the hard work and effort they put into this place.

The streets of this city is so lively filled with people wearing colourful clothes and stores with bright signs to lure in customers. I have never seen so many people in one place before in any game world, and I'm sure my computer could never handle this amount of data if I were to try and play this game on it. Whatever I'm hooked up to must have a hell of a lot of processing power to sustain such a populated world.

"Hey there kitten," A man calls out to me as I walk down the street. "If you want a good time come to the Hidden Fox Tavern where we offer both liquor and pleasure all at a reasonable price."

**_"No, thank you,"_** I rarely drink, and from what he tells me about the place it sounds like it doubles as a brothel, so I have even more reason to avoid it.

"For the best deals on axes and spears visit the Drawthen Blacksmith on East Street!"

"Looking for good food and a comfy bed then come to the Blue Dragon Inn!"

Embershire is so lively that everywhere I look I see something going on from street performers performing tricks to venders selling theirs. Once again, I can't help but admire the work people down on this game to make such a populated and lively city. It's even more amazing when you think about this being just one city and one street in that city. I know I have to travel now to see what else this game has to offer. I owe it to the Gamemakers to experience everything they have made after all the hard work they put into this world.

"If you want a fair price on your goods then come to the guild!"

That's a voice that grabs my attention. I was looking for a place to sell somethings, so it seems like I am taking them to the guild. Maybe I should look into becoming an adventurer. My first fight was scary but also exciting at the same time, and taking on quests will allow me to explore more of this world.

"If you're looking for cheap booze and girls then come on down to the Blue Lion Tavern!"

**_"Yeah I'm definitely not going there,"_** I think as I head for the guild. Thank god for my minimap as it seems to create waypoints for locations I am trying to find. It only makes sense for a game world such as this one.

* * *

The guild building really does stand out in more ways than one. Not only is the building a small castle with its own towers, but countless people are hanging around the place armed to the teeth with a few men flexing their muscles and showing off to each other. I didn't need the sign hanging above the door or my minimap to tell me I have reached my destination as the sight of the place is enough alone.

"Who's she?" I hear someone ask as I approach the door.

"Don't know," Their companion answers. "Haven't seen her before."

"It's not every day you see a beastfolk,"

That last comment grabs my attention. Are beastfolk rare in this world or just this region? Did I know I would stand out this much when I built this character or would this have been just as much of a surprise to me if I heard that without all this memory loss? I'll have to look into it later when I have time, but first I must see to selling my goods.

"Welcome," A short woman with a tough scared face greets me. "I haven't seen you here before so are you here to sign up or sell us something?"

"I'm here to see some goods," I tell her.

"Please wait a moment while I go fetch our appraiser," The woman tells me before she disappears.

Seeing as I have to wait, I take out the warthog meat and pelt from my backpack as well as those Bright Barries I collected. I'm not expecting to get much for this stuff but selling it is the best use I have for these items.

To pass the time, I look around the room to see people who must be adventures standing around a long billboard covered with posters. I can't make out what's on those posters, but I can guess they are advertising quests by the size of the crowd gathered around. Apart from that board, there's nothing else in this room but judging by the size of the building, I must only be seeing a small part of how the guild operates as I can see some doors leading off to different worlds. At least this room is well light, unlike the last stone building I visited.

I don't have to wait much longer as a man approaches me who is just barely taller than the woman that greeted me but looks smarter and more experienced with his wrinkled face and sharp eyes. The man must be the appraiser the women mentioned as he walks straight up to me and doesn't hesitate to grab the warthog pelt and examine it.

"This is something," The man mutters. "Not every day you see warthog pelts and meat, and although the meat appears to be in good condition, the hide has a few holes in it. I'll be able to offer you seven silver coins for the meat and eight for the pelt, but these barriers are another story. Bright Barries are very rare, so you are looking at a real money maker here."

Rare! You could have fooled me as I saw branches being to support the weight of these barriers because of how plentiful they were in that forest. How can something so abundant ever be called rare?

"It's easy to get lost in the Warthog Forest, so few people ever go to collect them," The man explains to me. "I can offer you one gold coins per berry."

One gold coin, so that means I will make fifteen gold coins for them all. Part of me wishes that I had collected more of them, but now that I know their value, I can always go and collect more of them at a later date.

"So the total price we can offer you is, fifteen silver coins and fifteen gold coins," The man tells me. "Would you like to sell at that price? I guarantee it will be the best offer you will receive."

"You have a deal," I nod. Let's see I have ten gold coins left after renting my room at the inn, so that makes my total wealth to be twenty four gold coins and fifteen silver ones. I don't think that makes me rich, but it sure is a good hull for my first sell.

"Excellent, please wait here will I fetch your payment," The man says before running off with my goods. Unfortunate he isn't gone long before I feel people present behind me.

I turn around to see three people stood right behind me. The one on the left is the tallest, he has blond hair, blue eyes and is wearing plate armour with a giant sword you would only find in games and anime on his back. The woman on the right has brown hair and eyes wearing chainmail while holding a short spear with a metal shield on her back. But the one that catches my attention I the man in the middles of the group. He has strong muscular arms that stick out of his sleeveless chest plate, and in his hand, he holds a heavy-looking hammer. His green eyes are scanning me intently, and his short hair is so none excitant that I can't tell its colour apart from its either black or dark brown.

Who are these people? They don't look like guards so they must be adventures but what do they want with me? Do they think I'm a spy too? I start to feel my heart race. This is bad what if they drag me off somewhere and kill me just under the suspicion of being a spy for some empire I know nothing about. I really wish that man in the middle would stop staring at me so intently it is starting to make me really uncomfortable.

"I don't get it," The middle man finally speaks up. His voice is deep but doesn't sound that threatening. "You don't look that strong, and your equipment isn't anything special, so it doesn't make sense. How could someone like you defeat a warthog and navigate deep within the Warthog Forest without getting lost?"

"Isn't it obvious," The woman scoffs. "She stole it. Beastfolk are nothing but thieving scavengers anyway. She probably took it from some hard-working, honest adventure."

"I am not a thief," I speak up hearing yet another false charge thrust against me.

"Shut it," The women replies glaring at me. "We know what your kind is like girl. Don't try to deny it."

"You should hand over your profit to us," The last remaining man quietly says. Strange, I would have thought a man like him would be much louder.

"It's only fair," The woman nods her head.

"A thief like you shouldn't be rewarded for committing a crime," The middle man smiles.

Great. I sigh, just when things were starting to look up, these jerks show up to drag me back down. I really need to speak to the Gamemakers about this. This game won't be fun if every step you take gets you in trouble. They have to have some system in place to prevent these kinds of situations from repeating themselves.

"So are you going to hand over you ill-gotten money or do we have to drag you to the guards?" The middle man asks. "I hear stories about what they do to thieves, trust me you don't want that happening to you."

"And what proof do you have that I am a thief?" I ask, getting fed up with everyone ganging up on me.

"What are you saying?" The middle man growls. "Isn't it obvious that you are a thief?"

"That's your opinion, but where's your proof?" I continue to question him.

The middle man opens his mouth to speak now words come out. I knew it. He has no evidence of a crime being committed which is why he's using threats instead of merely calling the guards. They are probably on hard times right now and saw me as an easy target. I hate people that think they can take what they want just because they are stronger or have more people then you do.

"We don't need proof," The woman spits out. "Being a beastfolk is enough proof that you are up to no good."

**_"Great it's a race thing,"_** Another thing to complain about when I get out of here. Why would they make racism in this world, it may make it more like the real world, but if I were making a world of my own, I would make it, so everyone is considered an equal.

"Hey, leave her alone!" I look over my shoulder to see the appraiser has come to my rescue. "Baseless accusations have no place within the guild."

"Thieves have no place here either," The woman replies sounding irritated to see someone coming to my aid.

"I can assure you she didn't steal these items, or are you doubting my evaluation skill?" The man asks, and the trio freezes up. "Now if you have no further business here please leave the area." With that, the group run from the building. "Here's your money ma'am and if those guys give you any more trouble let me now and the guild will sort them out."

"Thank you," I smile, accepting the payment for my goods.

"Don't mention it," The man says. "But before you go the branch manager of the guild wants to talk with you." What now? "Would you please follow me."

I'm starting to get tired of people accusing me of crimes I never committed and taking me to places. I really just want to relax in this world and enjoy myself, not dealing with jerks all the time.

* * *

I am lead into a large room on the second floor with a big window that overlooks the front of the building with a large round table in the centre of the room surrounded by comfy looking chairs. Painting of men and women fighting monsters cover the walls while a red rug covers the floor and a candlelight chandelier hangs from the ceiling. At least it is not a jail so so I know I'm not in trouble, at least not right at this minute.

I am not writing long before the door opens again and an elderly woman long grey hair and a bandage wrapped around her eyes. The black robes she is wearing drag along the floor and the cane she uses to walk clicks against the ground. Her wrinkled face seems kind and friendly, but I can't let my guard down after everything that has already happened.

"I'm sorry to call you here so suddenly, but I had to talk with you after learning that you can navigate through the Warthog Forest," The lady says as she takes a seat. "Most people get lost trying to gather Bright Barries and never return, not to mention the trouble warthog packs can cause to any party entering those woods. I want to make you an offer but first, let me introduce myself. My name is Zunra, and I'm from the northern Lizardfolk tribe. I must say it is an honour to meet someone from the Catfolk village."

"It's nice to meet you," I reply, taking in the knowledge. "I'm Suki, but I'm afraid I am not from the Catfolk village. I'm just a traveller."

"That odd to hear but not on heard off," Zunra shrugs. "But back on the topic, would you be willing to take up a quest for me."

"Could I know what it is before answering?" I don't want to get involved with some under the table shady business dealing. I have enough false accusations flying my way that there is no need to add to that fire by committing real crimes.

"Certainly," The woman nods her head. "I want you to collect more of those Bright Barries for me, and I will pay you two gold coins for each one you bring back."

"Why would you be doubling the price?" I mutter out surprised to hear the amount of the payment I will receive. "That's twice the price that I got from the ones I just sold your guild."

"Well, you see those berries can be used to make health potions which are in high demand since the empire stopped trading with our kingdom," The woman explains. "And the danger involved in collecting those berries means I have to compensate you for taking the risk."

"I see," I am starting to get the picture. The empire is a threat so they must be stocking up on potions in case a war breaks out.

"I would also like to offer you membership with the guild," Zunra continues. "Normally there is a trial period with new members, but I believe we can skip that and make you a member right away. So will you accept this quest?"

"I'll take it," I nod. I was considering joining the guild anyway so its no problem that my visit ended this way. "But before I go, is there a time limit on this quest?"

"No, just don't take too long," Zunra replies as she starts to get up. "I'll notify the front desk about what is happening so there shouldn't be any problems with your membership going through. Welcome to the guild miss Suki."

* * *

"I'm surprised you managed to survive the Warthog Forest being a level two and all," The clerk handling my guild registration says as I have to use another one of those stone tablets again to complete the sign up process. "But then looking at your stealth level, I can see how." Little does he know that I just walked through the forest like I would walk down the street outside. "And that finishes up your registration please take this card." The card is soft and flexible with only an ID number written on it. "You will need to present this when collecting rewards and accepting quests. I've already processed the quest the guild leader gave you so good luck."

That took a lot less time then I was expecting. I thought it would take about an hour, but it took less than ten minutes. I put the card in my pocket and was about to leave when something catches my eyes. A long pair of ears sticking out of some beautiful shoulder-length blonde hair. Something about the girl draws my attention, and it's the desperate look in her emerald eyes that has my attention.

"Excuse me but has any parties shown an interest?" The girl asks the clerk who just severed me.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but there are still no takers," The man sadly replies, causing the girls eyes to water.

"Please if I don't find someone today my trial period will expire," The girl begs stepping closer to the desk. "Please isn't there a party here that I can talk to."

"I'm sorry miss, but they have to go through the guild I can't let you…" The man begins to explain, but I step forward without thinking.

"Excuse me, but I could be of assistance here," I say making the girl smile.

"Really you will take me on?" The girl asks as she jumps forward and hugs me. "Thankyou I won't let you down."

"If you are willing to watch this girl on her first quest you are free to do so just let me get the form," The clerk says reaching down and quickly returning with the form. "I need both of you to sign this, and please be aware that you must complete a quest within two days or your trial period will end in failure."


	3. Chapter 3: My First Friend

Chapter 3: My First Friend

**For some reason, I always seem to attract the attention of others and quickly become popular. It's strange considering I tend to be a shut-in, but it's the truth. I never have trouble making new friends.**

"Thank you so much. I won't let you down," The blonde girl cheers as soon as the form is complete. "I was beginning to think that nobody was going to take me on. Oh, I'm sorry I haven't even introduced myself yet." The girl jumps back and bows her head. "My name is Amelara Dorvyre. Please take good care of me."

"I'm Suki," I reply. "It's nice to meet you, Amelara."

"I'm happy to see you two are getting along and all but would you two mind taking it elsewhere so I could assist other people," The clerk speaks up bringing to our attention the small queue of people forming behind us."

"Sorry," "I'm sorry."

Both Amelara and I quickly apologise before stepping off to the side. We find a quiet spot to talk in the main lobby near the bulletin boards containing quests. There are far fewer people here than when I first arrived at the guild meaning it's nice and quiet and we won't be bothering anyone if we stop and talk here.

"So what is the quest you have in mind for us?" Amelara asks as soon as we come to a halt in the large hall. "If it's a job involving manual labour, then I might not be much of a help, but I will do my best."

"Well the guild branch manager asked me to collect Bright Barries from the Warthog Forest," I tell her and I see Amelara's eyes go wide the moment I mention the forests name.

"Warthog Forest…" Amelara mumbles shaking slightly. "I don't know if I'm ready to go into that place…"

Is it really that scary? It must be dangerous, but I was able to handle that monster with ease the moment I discovered it's attack pattern. If this place is really as bad as everyone says, then I must have either had some serious luck during my time in those woods or some help from the game makers to get out of their alive. I'm starting to have second thoughts on this, but I push them away before those thoughts could cause fear to take root within me. This quest is good money, and even if the worse should happen, I will only respawn. What have I got to lose?

"It will be okay I was at the forest only this morning," I assure her. "As long as we are careful, we will be fine."

"Right," Amelara nods her head sounding determined, but in her eyes, I can still see the fear that she feels.

"It will be best if we head out tomorrow morning," I tell her. I still have to buy some supplies for the trip, so it's best to delay our start until the morning. "Is there any place you that will be good with you to meet up in the morning?"

"I'm staying at the Horse Shoe Inn, so does that work for you?" She asks, and I smile.

"That's perfect," I answer. "I'm actually staying there myself."

"Really? That's great! It's like it was fate that brought you my way," The girl cheers.

I don't know how this quest will end for us, but one thing is for sure is that this girl will make the task entertaining.

* * *

Dinner at Horse Shoe Inn was undoubtedly a more lively affair then lunch was. Not only is the building more crowded but a woman sings on a small stag that has been set up in the back while Amelara proves to be good company. The lively girl knocks back glass after glass of some kind of blue beer called Dragons Blood holding her drink better than any other person I have ever seen. She comments on how human alcohol is nowhere near as strong as the stuff dwarfs make while I just sit back and enjoy the surprisingly sweet taste of my drink.

Besides the surprises of the night, there also comes things you would expect from being in a busy place with free-flowing booze and a lively atmosphere. Men come up and insult me for being a Beastfolk while at the same time trying to flirt with Amelara. I'm not surprised they would flirt with her as Amelara is a very beautiful young lady, but every time someone tries to pick her up, Amelara quickly shoots them down. Most of the men get the message and leave her alone, but one man had to learn the hard way just what Amelara can do with her elbow when he got a little forceful and tried to pull my new friend up from her seat. The poor fool took nearly ten minutes to recover and pick himself up from the floor.

"Why can't I go to places like this and drink in peace?" Amelara sighs before downing the last of her glass then calling out. "Hey, barmaid I need a fillup!"

"It's your fault for being so beautiful," I comment sipping on my drink causing the blonde girl to look up at me like I was crazy.

"I'm not beautiful," Amelara replies, slowly dropping her head before whispering. "If I were then I wouldn't have made a fool of myself and had to leave my home."

 ** _"I'm not beautiful,"_** Now it's my time to look at my friend like she's crazy. How could she say something like that? It makes me wonder if this world has mirrors in it as there is no way Amelara would call herself anything but beautiful if she were to see her reflection. Something must have happened. She commented on such an event, but I doubt she will tell me if I ask, so I bite my tongue. Maybe one day she will tell me what happened and I can make her see how beautiful she really is.

"Excuse me, miss Suki," I turn to find that young girl who waited on me at lunch. "Some people are waiting for you outback. They said they have guild business to talk to you about."

"I'll be right out," I nod. If I were seeing clearly and not under the influence of alcohol and confusion of what should have caused Amelara to doubt her beauty, then I would have sensed the threat. Unfortunately for me, I walked straight into an enemies arms. Getting up, I tell my new friend. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Don't leave me waiting too long," Amelara smiles as the barmaid refills her drink. I feel sorry for this place as I'm pretty sure they are regretting offering free food and beverages to guests like Amelara who drinks glass after glass with no signs of stopping. I hope she doesn't run the inn out of business.

* * *

When I step out into the back ally, everything is dark, and I can't see a soul in sight. It's only now that a fool like me starts to feel like somethings wrong. Unfortunately, it came too late as two figures step out of the shadows, and a third appears behind me blocking my escape. **_"I'm such an idiot!"_** I internally curse my foolishness as I recognize the people who lured me out here with bait so obvious that even a child could see it's a trap. I really screwed up this time as I see no way of escaping and with the noise coming from the inn my screams for help will go unheard.

A strong man drags his hammer across the ground, causing it to scrap as she advances towards me with killer intent in his cold green eyes. He's still wearing his chest plate, and the rest of the trio is so heavily armed that I doubt they want to just talk to me. The brown-haired women behind him have her spear drawn and shield ready to use also closes in, and while the giant behind me doesn't move, he still has massive sword drawn. I really am an idiot to walk right into this situation without hesitation. The man and woman stop in front of me as I hear a thump in the background but figurer out its source is the least of my concerns right now.

**_"What do these guys want this time?"_ **

"You acctal came," The man with a hammer chuckles. "I can't tell whether you are very brave or very foolish but since you are here how about you hand over that gold your got today."

So these guys still want to take what is mine. They certainly are persistent I'll give them that, but I will certainly not hand over my hard-earned money so easily. My silence makes him growl as it frustrates him, and I can see his muscles tense as his grip on his hammer tightens. But in his eyes, I can see the hints of fear. Perfect, I can use that fear to my advantage. I am unknown to him, and I think that's what scares him so instead of replying to his demands with words I give him only silence watching as my quite defiance affects not just him but also the woman behind him.

"Didn't you hear me?" He asks louder but with a slight shake to his voice. "I told you to hand over all your gold right now… Do you have a death wish? Why won't you say something?"

I think he's had enough, so it's time to move on. I wasn't just staying quiet as he made his demands. I was plotting something and rehearsing the lines I was about to speak in my head. Instead of speaking, I laugh at him, confusing my opponents.

"Do you really think you scare me?" I ask him giving the man the cruellest stare I can muster. "Scare me? Someone who braved the depths of the Warthog Forest and returned. Do you think your words and weapons can strike fear into me after going through all that?"

Bingo. There's the look I was aiming for. The man's eyes go wide as he takes a step back. I already knew the locals feared that forest, and it seems these guys are no exception. Perfect. I may not even have to fight them to get this group of thieves to leave me alone.

"I'm not scared of you," The man tries to sound intimidating, but with his shaking voice, he fails badly at that task. "Just give us the gold, and you won't get hurt."

"Your unarmed," The women chimes in but it seems my act has left her shaking as well. "Do you really think you can take us all on by yourself?"

"Why don't we find out," I reply cracking my knuckles.

"You asked for this," The hammer man tells me as he advances.

Damit. My act my have scared them, but it seems, in the end, it wasn't enough. The man slowly advances towards me, raising his hammer high in the air. **_"Stay calm,"_** I tell myself. **_"Just do what you did when you fought that monster. Study his attack patterns and exploit their weaknesses."_** Despite my best attempts to remain calm my, I can feel my heart start to race. You could hardly balm me consider the walking muscles with a hammer is closing in on me for the key. I doubt any of you would be calm if you were in my shoes.

A simple sidestep is all I need to do to avoid the blow from his hammer. The ground cracks unrealistically, and his hammer punches a small hole into the ground. I know he's strong but I doubt he is that strong but then again, this is a video game after all. The man growls as he glares at me almost as if he struggles to believe I just avoided his strike. He must be crazy if he genuinely thought that anyone would just stand still and let him hit them with his hammer. I watch as he picks up his hammer and tries to swipe me with his hammer, but I jump back feeling the wind of the blow that I managed to dodge. He may be strong and his attacks powerful, but he's so slow that his strikes are easy to read.

"Stay still," He finally says as I dodge yet another strike.

"Only a fool will do that," I reply seeing my opponent get madder by the second.

So far, I have been able to dodge his attacks, but if his friends get involved, then I won't be so lucky in the future. For some reason, they are only blocking my escape. I don't know if they are following orders or justs scared but what I do know is that if I want to live, then I need to end this fight before they come at me together.

Or maybe I won't have to fight.

An arrow digs into the ground making the hammer man jump and nearly losing his balance before a second one grazes her cheek drawing blood. As blood drips from his wound, he looks around for the source only to see nothing but the same darkness that once concealed him and his companions.

"She's not alone," The hammer man mutters.

"Where did that arrow come from?" The woman asks.

"I don't know," The hammer man replies frantically looking around. "Let's just get out of her for now."

A stand there stunned, staring at the arrow sticking out of the ground. Who just shot that? I wonder as I stare. Do I have some guardian angel, or is it someone dealing out some vigilante justice on those guys. I don't have to wait long before I find out. Jumping down from the inn's second floor, Amelara barely sticks the landing as she stumbles towards me. I'm impressed that she could make shoots like she did in this state.

"Damit I missed," Amelara mutters as she lowers her bow.

So those guys just got lucky. Here I thought that I just witnessed Amelara's marksmanship, but along she missed her targets. I think it's better this way as those guys got to learn a lesson in why it's a bad idea to rob someone. Maybe next time they will think twice before coming after me or anyone else in the future. Somehow I doubt those idiots will become model citizens, but I am confident they will not be coming after me anymore.

"Are you okay?" Amelara asks, looking at me.

"I'm fine thanks to you," I reply as confidently as I can hiding the little pieces of fear that still remain from the attack. "Your shooting scared them off. Thank you, Amelara."

"Don't mention it," Amelara smiles before nearly falling over, and I have to catch her.

"Are you okay?" No, it's my time to ask the question.

"I'm fine," Amelara assures me, but she still needs my aid even to stand. "I just drank a bit too much."

We step back into the inn with me having to guide Amelara as the alcohol takes more effect with each passing second. I carry her back into the man room of the inn and up to the desk where I ask the old man sitting behind it which room my friends is which he happily complies but as I start to take Amelara upstairs I feel a tug on my sleeve. Looking down, I see the cute blonde waitress looking up at me with concern and worry.

"I'm glad your okay," She weakly smiles, letting go of me. "I was so scared something bad would happen when I saw those people attack you."

"Don't worry. It will take more than a bunch of idiots to hurt me," I smile at her. "Were you the one that told Amelara what happened?"

"Yes," She nods. "Your friend was so cool she jumped out of her seat and ran straight to help you nearly knocking over several people in the room."

"Thank you for getting help," I say patting her on the head which she seems to enjoy as a big smile grows on her face. She rises to her tiptoes, giving me urging me to continue as much as I hate to disappoint her though I have to get Amelara back to her room as I notice my friend starting to nod off. "Thank you again, but I have to get my friend here back to her room."

"Okay," The girl frowns disappointedly. "Have a good night."

As I go up the stairs, something pops up in the centre of my vision.

**"Congratulations Battle Won!"**

**"Exp: 10."**

This game really needs to work on the timing of those popups.

* * *

I'm surprised by how well Amelara looks when she steps out of her room the next morning. With how much she was drinking the night before I expected to have to delay our departure because she would be hungover but instead, she looks just as cheerful and excited as yesterday. **_"Is it her half-elf traits that prevented that or just the simple fact that this game doesn't have a hangover feature?"_** I wonder for a moment but quickly push those thoughts out of my mind. We have work to do after all, and there is no point in getting distracted over something so small.

"Ready to go?" I ask, and Amelara happily nods her head.

"You bet," She nervously smiles.

And with that, we set off leaving the horseshoe in and even the city of Embershire. Despite her assurances, I can tell Amelara is still nervous about going into the Warthog forest and nothing I say to her seems to have any effect. He hands still shake, and I can feel her jump slightly at every sound we hear. I hope she gets better soon, and I want to help her, but I don't know how to. **_"What can I say to her?"_** I wish I knew the answer to that question.


	4. Chapter 4: My First Quest

Chapter 4: My First Quest

**I have always hated it when people try to force their views on you. While I was at school, there was this one jerk that didn't like it when people thought differently to him. I can remember times when he would threaten fellow students until they agreed with everything he said.**

The walk to the Warthog Forest is peaceful, and once we left the city, we didn't see a single soul apart from a patrolling group of soldiers. But despite the peace and quiet, I notice that my new friend Amelara is still nervous and anxiously looking around. She's on edge despite their being no apparent danger. I had hoped that she would start to relax as we walked, but she seems only to be getting worse the closer we get to the woods. I should have expected that considering how dangers the locals say the forest is.

"I only fought one monster when I was in the forest yesterday," I tell her hoping to ease her nerves a little. "There's a chance that we might not encounter any while we are there."

"Really?" Amelara looks up surprised hearing this. "But I overheard people saying that the Warthog Forest was full of dangerous monsters."

"It's a big place so I wouldn't be surprised to find that there are areas in the forest that are filled with monsters, but if we go to the place where I was yesterday we should be fine," I reply feeling glad that at least she is looking slightly better now. Amelara is still nervous, but I can defiantly see some improvements there.

"I hope your right," Amelara replies, looking ahead where a tree line stretches as far as we can see in both directions. "Between getting lost and the monsters that place really isn't a nice place to visit."

Oh, I wonder if I can set up a waypoint ao we won't get lost. I was warned yesterday that getting lost in these trees is a common problem, so I need to ensure that doesn't happen to us today. I haven't done this before but maybe if I tap my minimap… that's it as a large map opens before my eyes, but unfortunately, it's mostly blank with only places I have visited before being shown, but at least I can set a waypoint on this map screen. It's a simple process as I only have tap a location on the map and it asks me if I want to set a waypoint. I'm glad this game is user friendly, and now we won't have to worry about getting lost.

I close the map only to find Amelara staring at me with her eyes wide. Is there something on my face? I'm pretty sure I would have noticed if there was. Was it something I did then? But all I have done is walk by her side and open my… That could be it. I wonder if hud's and minimaps not something everyone has in this world?

"Are… are you a hero, Suki?" Amelara asks, looking at me as if I was some kind of celebrity. "You were just using a hud. I heard that only heroes have those."

"Well, I was using a hud, but I'm not a hero," I tell her. If I was a hero, I'm sure the Gamemaker would have said something to me when I first arrived in this world.

"Then it must be just a rare gift then," Amelara sighs looking disappointed. "Or maybe you are just a decadent of a hero."

"Are heroes common in this world?" I question.

"No," Amelara shakes her head. "The last hero appeared over a hundred years ago, and the time before that was nearly five hundred years ago. One rarely appears, but when they do, the heroes are said to have the strength to change the world."

"Well, I can tell you that I don't have that strength," I tell her. "Although it does sound appealing to be able to change the world."

"I know, right?" Amelara smiled. "If I had that strength I could finally return hom… never mind there is nothing I to use that strength for."

Something must have happened, and as much as I want to ask her what it was, I stay silent. I'm sure she will tell me one day when we become closer friends. Until then, I just have to stay by her side until she is ready to open up and talk about it.

"Anyway I just set a waypoint, so we don't have to worry about getting lost," I tell her changing the subject.

"What's a waypoint?"

I guess that is something only heroes and I can do.

"It's something I can use on my hud to help me navigate," I answer as best I can. "I just set one on this location so no matter where we are, we won't get lost."

"I see," Amelara nods her head.

* * *

The Warthog Forest is just as I remember with tall trees packed together and their canopies threatening to block out the sun. Several boulders are clearly visible, and despite the air being clear outside of the trees inside the forest, there is a thin mist covering the ground. I have seen sudden changes in the weather in games before but experiencing it as it would happen in real life is a little unsettling. I will have to get used to it since I'm going to be in this world for the next eight years.

Looking to my side, I see Amelara is uneasy as well, but by the ways, her eyes scan the area I believe it's due to nerves rather than the sudden appearance of the mist. I guess she's used to it being from this world and all. I watch as my new friend takes a short bow off from her shoulder and notches an arrow. I should mention that Amelara is similar equipment to me as she is wearing leather armour and has a short sword on her hips, but she also carries a short bow and instead of my Magical Backpack Amelara has an Item Pouch.

Although I haven't seen her in a fight, I can tell I don't have to worry about Amelara as from the way she handles her bow I can tell she's no stranger to the weapon. I'll have to worry about finding a way we can work together and that I don't get in her way. I'm starting to hope we don't run into any enemies as just by looking at Amelara I can tell she is more skilled in combat than me and I don't want to embarrass myself in front of my only friend in this world. I take a deep breath before I begin to lead us deeper into the Warthog Forest.

"So how deep in are the barriers you found?" Amelara asks as we walk.

"I can't remember exactly, but they shouldn't be that hard to find as I saw plenty of branches being weighed down with them yesterday," I answer scanning the area in front of me checking the shadows for monsters waiting to ambush us. "It shouldn't take us more than an hour to collect what we need and start to head back."

"I hope so," Amelara replies and when I glance at her, I could swear I saw her shiver slightly. "The sprites of these trees seem off here."

"How so?" I ask out of curiosity as I turn my attention back to seeking out protentional threats.

"Normally tree spirts are bright and move fast around their trees but here they are dim and slow as if their life is being sucked away," Amelara explains. "None of them have even reacted to our presence like they…"

Before she can continue Amelara suddenly dives at me, knocking me to the ground and just as I was about to question her actions the ground where I once stood suddenly explodes into a cloud of dirt as what appears to be blades of air slice into the mud. We quickly get to our feet, and I draw my sword just as a fairy straight out of the children books I used to love floats down from between the trees.

The creature has a tiny body of a female about the size of my hand with tanned skin that appears as if it glows while the fairies bright blue wings have sparkles dripping from them. If it weren't for the fact that it just attacked us, I wouldn't have felt threatened by this fairy since it looks so weak and harmless. The fairy looks very weak, but I don't let my guard down as I just saw that this monster makes up for its lack of strength with the use of magic. Part of me is going to regret harming a creature that looks so innocent, but I remind myself that its either this fairy or us and find my resolve.

"Gahhhh!" The fairy lets out a cry that was much louder than anything I could expect from a creature of this size, hurting my ears.

"Be careful," Amelara warns. "Fairies try to keep their distance while lunching magical attacks. They are fast so I don't know if I can hit it with an arrow."

"I'll find a way to slow it down for you," I tell her as I rush forward. "Wait for an opening while I distract it."

I try to slash it with my sword, and although I expected the fairy to dodge my attack, I still feel disappointed that my blade only slices air as the monster easy evades my attack. I make a second attempt only for the fairy to dodge again before an orange glow begins to form in the palm of its tiny hands. That glow grows into a ball, and soon I have to dive out of the way as a ball of fire is sent my way. The fireball explodes, but the small fire that starts quickly dies out. I barely have time to get up before I have to dive again only this time blades of air are hurtling towards me. I barely dodge the attack, and I don't have time to react before something wraps around my ankle.

"Suki!" I hear Amelara yell as I look down.

I see a tentacle of water trapping my leg soaking the bottom of my trousers and squeezing tight enough to make me wince. I don't have time to fully absorb what is happening before the water pulls me towards the fairy where I see its glowing hands, preparing to shoot another fireball at me. I act more out of instinct than rational thought taking my sword and cutting the tentacle of water causing it to lose its form and splash on the ground but as I look towards the fairy I see it is too late as the fireball is just about to be fired. Part of me can't believe I am dying to a monster so small and innocent looking, but it shouldn't be that surprising with these things ability to cast a range of spells. I can only watch as the ball of fire grows to half the size of the faires body then an arrow causing the monsters head to explode. Amelara saved me once again.

"Suki!" I get up just as Amelara reaches me after spriting the distance between us. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, right?"

"I'm fine," I assure her once I can get a word in. "Thankyou Amelara, you saved me back there."

"That's what partners are for," Amelara smiles.

"I'm glad I have a partner like you backing me up," I tell her making Amelara blush slightly.

"If anything, I should be the one who is grateful," Amelara replies, looking down. "You took me on when no one else would. Even though I am useless and inexperienced, you still gave me a chance."

I wanted to ask how she can think of herself as useless when she now saved my life multiple times by this point, but the games perfectly timed popups decide to make its appearance.

**"Victory."**

**"Exp: 25."**

**"Items Dropped: Fairy Wings X1."**

At least it was better timed than the last few times, but it cost me the opportunity to question Amelara further as I see her walking forward ready to continue.

"We should get moving before anything else shows up," Amelara suggests, and I nod my head as we start walking once again.

I will find out what happened to her someday.

* * *

It doesn't take us long to find the Bright Barries as I stated before they are pretty abundant in this forest. We move from tree to tree refusing to split up after that encounter with the fairy, and soon we fill up Amelara's Item Pouch, so she starts to keep a lookout while I fill my Magical Backpack. In the end, I end up with fifty Bright Barries while Amelara ends up with forty. It seems I can only hold ten stacks of items in my backpack so that's something and with all our barriers we can make nearly one hunderd and eighty gold coins, so it's not a bad haul. Now, all we have to do is make it back safely.

"I got all I can carry," I tell Amelara as stand up. "We should head back and calm our reward."

"Sure," Amelara replies, looking relieved. "I can't wait to leave this place."

I should have expected that response from her after seeing and hearing her feelings on this place. I guess she is still feeling nervous despite now looking calm on the outside. I can't blame her after all the things I have heard about this place. We leave as soon as I put on my backpack with me taking the lead using my waypoint to guide us out, but before we leave I put another waypoint down on this location just in case, we ever have to come back. This map really is user friendly, allowing me to label the waypoints and turn them on and off, so my minimap isn't covered in them.

"Was it this quiet last time you were here?" Amelara asks as we start to walk away.

"Yeah," I answer with a nod of my head. "At one point, it made me wonder if there really was any monsters in this forest, to begin with."

"I know what you mean," Amelara agrees. "But that's what makes this place so dangerous. Everywhere else you can hear the monsters, but here they sneak up on you without making a sound as that fairy did early." If what she said is true, then I can see why this place is feared, but I don't have enough experience to tell whether that is the case or not. "We should just get out of here before we are attacked again."

"Agreed," I say.

I know I will only respawn, but that doesn't mean I want to die. We should get out of here as soon as possible with our eyes peeled for any signs of an ambush. At least the fog has now cleared making it easier to spot any approaching enemies. Unfortunately for us that also made it, so the monsters had less trouble finding us too. As a warthog steps out in front of us, I start to wonder if the Gamemakers limited the monsters spawning in this forest when I was first here. I can see that happening since I was there by accident.

This warthog is just like the last one I fought, and after explaining how I defeated the last one to Amelara, we have no trouble in taking it down. We dodge then strike me with my sword and Amelara with her bow. We defeat this monster quickly with the knowledge of my previous battle and the fact there is too of use this time, but now with our storge full we can't fit in the goods dropped.

**"Victory."**

**"Exp: 25."**

**"Items Dropped: Warthog Meat X1, Warthog Pelt X1."**

The message pops up as I stare at the neatly folded warthog pelt and perfectly cut meat. I didn't pay it much attention before, but the meat looks like the cuts of steaks I used to buy. I guess that's the advantage of us living in a game world since we don't have to butcher the meat ourselves, but Amelara's staring tells me that something is off here.

"You really are a hero, aren't you Suki?" Amelara asks, looking at me like I am a famous celebrity again. "I heard that heroes cause monsters to make drops like this. A normal person would have had to skin and butcher the warthog, but that's not the case with you."

"Well I have never be called a hero before but I… I don't know…" I answer, confused about what my friend is telling me. "I can use a hud and make drops like this happen, but I don't have the strength you described a hero process or have been told that I am a hero."

"But you can do all this stuff," Amelara points out. "How can you not be a hero?"

"I don't know what I am," I shake my head still confused. Am I a hero? Am I meant to change this world? I don't know any of the answers to those questions. "I'm sorry Amelara I can't say I am a hero because I don't know what I am."

"Okay," Amelara sighs. "I can tell you are confused about this so I will drop it for now."

"Thank you," I weakly smile. "Can you do me a favour and keep this a secret."

"Don't worry about it. My lips are sealed," Amelara smiles assuringly.

"Thank you," I reply.

Then we get back to business. We decide that I will carry the meat while Amelara carries the pelt and we are back on our way. It doesn't take long to reach the first waypoint I set, so I quickly delete it before we move on, but unlike before when I was walking towards Embershire, I can be wowed by the sights as my minds a mess right now. **_"What am I?"_** I can't seem to answer that question as I wonder if I am a hero like Amelara suggests or just an ordinary player. The person who built this world did tell me I could be whatever I wanted, which included being a hero, but am I meant to be a hero no matter what I decided to be. I just can't figure it out, and we reach the gates of the city before I can put my thoughts together.

* * *

Meeting the guild leader this time isn't as bad as before knowing this time what I am here for and having Amelara here with me. The guilds manager politely greets us offer us both a cup of tea and something to snack on as our goods are appraised, and payment gathered. We discuss some small talk about the gossip around town, but the main event is Amelara being made a full member of the guild with Zunra personally handing Amelara her guild card. Amelara immediately forgets where she is and lets out a cheer before hugging me.

"Thank you!" Amelara cries hugging me tightly before the guild manager clears her throat, reminding her where she is. Amelara goes red in the face looking down. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay to be happy and celebrate your triumphs, but you also need to be mindful as to where you are and who you are with my young girl," Zunra tells her before taking a sip of her tea. "An outburst like that could get you in trouble in the presence of a noble, and now that you are a member of the guild your actions will also reflect poorly on everyone here so keep that in mind in the future."

"Yes ma'am," Amelara timidly replies, still staring at the floor.

"I'm glad you understand," Zunra says before turning to me. "Now, about the items, you handed in, we will add the extra items payments to the quest reward, and I would like to thank you both for taking on this request personally." The door opens, and a man walks in carrying a bag and a document handing them both to the guild manager. Zunra quickly reads the document before handing the bag and document to me. "Your payment is here, and as you can see on the document, we have paid one hundred eighty gold coins for the Bright Barries as promised at ten gold coins a barry and an additional sixteen silver coins for the extra items."

"Thank you," I reply, taking the money and document.

**"Congratulations Quest Complete!"**

**"Exp: 150."**

**"Gold Coins: 180."**

**"Silver coins: 16."**

**"Level Up!"**

There's that pop-up announcement again, and I see I didn't get any extra gold for the quest, but I did get enough Exp to level up to level three. Not bad for a mornings work not only did I increase my level but even split in half. I still made three hundred and ninety gold coins and eight silver coins. To top it all off, I even helped Amelara become a fully-fledged guild member. I really have done a lot this morning and the day is only half over.

"There is something else I wish to discuss with you two," Zunra says after taking another sip of her tea. "It is not uncommon for guild members to form parties, and I was wondering if you two were going to become one."

"…"

Neither Amelara nor I answer instead we look to each other and when see the answers each of us has in our eyes we nod. Turning to Zunra, I answer for the both of us.

"Yes, we will," I reply, making the guild manager smile.

"I was hoping you would say that," Zunra says setting her cup down. "As much as it pains me to admit our guild has declined over the years and most of our members show little promise but the two of you I can tell we go far as adventures so I am pleased to hear you will both work together and I hope to see you grow into grand adventures. There is a form you will need to fill out to make that official, but first I want to tell you the second reason why I am happy to hear you say that." Taking a moment, Zunra pulls out a piece of paper. "I need a team I can trust to represent our guild in this years guild cup, and I want that team to be yours."

"Surely you have stronger teams than us," I say out of shock.

"You are right I do, but I don't trust them," Zunra replies, looking disappointed. "I heard what one of the teams have done to you Suki, and I am afraid that their behaviour is common within teams of this guild. I don't want people like that to be the face of this guild, so please consider it. You still have six months until the tournament, so you don't need to answer right away, but please consider it."

"I'll think it over," I tell her pleasing the guild manager.

"Thank you," She says before there's a knock on the door. "I'm sorry, but I have guild business to attend, but I bid you goodbye, and I hope to hear from you soon."

"Goodbye," I reply, taking the flier for the guild cup from her.

"Bye," Amelara also says still sounding embarrassed by her early outburst.

"Do you want to go get something to eat?" I ask as we start to leave.

"Sure," Amelara nods before her stomach loudly growls embarrassing the poor girl.

* * *

We find a lovely café that has beautiful flowers outside, which gives off a pleasant smell. The food they serve looks fancy but affordable, only costing five silver coins each for a meal. I order a grilled chicken burger with a glass of water while Amelara orders herself a salmon dish with a glass of ale to drink. She really loves her booze because as soon as she gets her drinks, she downs half a glass within seconds.

"Before we begin I want to give you your half," I say as I dived the money. It probably isn't a smart thing to do in public, but with the café being nearly empty, I figured it was safe enough.

"My half?" Amelara questions looking at me as if I was crazy. "You don't mean… I wasn't expecting you to give me anything. Guild member in their trial periods usually doesn't get paid."

"You worked hard out there and saved me," I tell her. "You put in half the work out there so of course, I was going to pay you an equal share."

"Thank you," Amelara sats quickly pocketing the coins as if she fears I may take them back.

Our food is brought to us before another word could be said, and my mouth starts to water. It has been a long time since I had a good burger, and this one both looks and smells divine. Just looking at it makes my stomach grumble. I can't wait to bite into it but before I can the window to the café suddenly smashes and a monster I haven't seen before lands next to me as screams from outside start to flood into the restaurant.

The creature isn't like anything I have seen before it is a rabbit but the size of a bear with a drill-like horn on its head and three razor-sharp claws at the end of each of its four limbs. The rabbit has dirt brown fur and soulless black eyes that make me shiver and feel thankful it is dead.

"Everything is okay, the good people of Embershire need not fear as I have slain the Burrowing Rabbit who dug under the wall," I hear a male voice assure the people outside before a young man who looks like a knight walks in handing the café's owner some coins while apologising for the damage before picking up the monster. "I'm sorry to disturb your meals, my good people."

The young man was handsome black short hair and grey eyes that seem to sparkle. He has a strong body and can easily carry the monster despite its massive size. As I watch him go, I can't help but wonder who he is but behind me i sense Amelara tense up.

* * *

Back in my room at the Horseshoe in I quickly update my character skills and stats, putting two points into intelligence, so I no longer have any negative stats and two more points into stealth since that is where my characters strength lies before I collapse on my bed to try and answer the question that has been bugging me all day. Am I a hero like Amelara thinks I am? I could be. I could be a hero, and the game will force me to face some demon whether I want to or not to save this world. Me being a hero does make sense, and that final fight with the demon could be what brings this game to an end.

**_Bzzz… Bzzz… Bzzz…_ **

That phone again! Perfect maybe he can answer that question for me. I answer the call as soon as that telephone icon appears and am greeted by the voice of that same kind man from before.

"We are detecting you are confused, is something wrong?" He asks as soon as I answer his call.

"There's no problem but can I ask you something?" I really hope he can shed some light on that question that continues to bother me.

"Sure, you can ask me anything," He quickly replies with his calm, friendly voice.

"Am I a hero in this game?"

"You are who you want to be," He answers. "If you want to be a hero, you can be. I told you this before, but in this world, you can be whoever you want to be."

"But my abilities are something only a hero has in this world," I tell him.

"Yes but just because you have the abilities of a hero doesn't mean you can become one," He replies, answering my question but not making me feel any better. "Tell me if I were to open up a bank vault and make sure no one was around but you would you take the money?"

"No," I shake my head.

"Just because you have the position within you doesn't mean you have to be a hero," He tells me. "You are who you are. I have to go now, but I want you to ask yourself something. Who are you, and what do you want? If you can answer that question, then what is bugging you will go away. I'll be going no just remember you are you and not anyone else."

With that, the call ends, and I am left laying on the bed thinking things over. Who am I and want to I want? Do I want to be a hero? I close my eyes as I think about those things. Who am I, and what do I want?


	5. Chapter 5: Unexpected Visitors

Chapter 5: Unexpected Visitors

**If there were one thing I would want to bring from a fantasy world into reality, it would be the brave hero's who fight for justice. There were just some days where I would wish for a knight in shining armour to appear and save the day.**

The next morning Amelara and I are back at the guild building looking over the quests on the board aiming more to level up then to earn money, so manly our eyes are drawn to the extermination quests. Most of them seem simple enough with one quest asking us to exterminate giant rats on a nearby farm and another to kill a group of wolfs threatening livestock. None of the monsters seems that tough, and it will be an excellent chance to get some combat practice, but we haven't made up our minds as to what one we want to do.

I should mention that we both agreed to represent the guild in the guild cup, which is why we are looking to level up as much as possible before then. Zunra, the guild manager, was delighted to hear that and quickly registered us both for the cup, but I still am not sure whether we will be ready or not. Either way, both Amelara and I have to level up so here we are looking over the quests we believe will give us the most Exp rather than fighting for the highest rewards quest with the other adventures.

Killing a group of slims in a nearby cave appears to be our best bet on levelling up due to the number of monsters, but before I can mention it to Amelara, I hear a commotion behind me. Turning around, I see everyone staring and whispering to each other as that knight-like man from yesterday makes another appearance. Walking through the main lobby with his head held high, the handsome man pays little attention to the fact that all eyes are on him as he walks right up to the front desk to conduct his business. He must be used to being the centre of attention by the way he handles the staring. I really wish I can be like that.

"I found one," Amelara comes up to me, and I have to wonder how she wasn't distracted by that knights-like man's arrival, but I bite my tongue and listen to what she has to say. "Kill ten Vilebug's in the Petal Spring. It's not too far away, and as long as we buy some antidotes for their poison shots, we won't have any trouble dealing with them."

I look at the flyer she gave me and see a picture of a giant beetle with a warning about its poison written in red beneath it. They don't look so tough, but neither did that fairy yesterday and that still nearly killed me. I can't let my guard down just because it looks weak, but it should be an excellent chance to level up, so I have no objections.

"Let's take it," I nod and we head off to claim the quest but I can't help but feel like I am beging watched as we go.

The person at the desk is different from before as this one is a bold one-eyed man with big strong hands that I am surprised could handle delicate work such as writing. To be honest, I was expecting the pen in his hand to snap like a trig and part of me was secretly disappointed when nothing of the sorts happen. His pale skin is scared, and his face looks harsh and unfriendly but when he talks it quickly becomes apparent that this guy is a big softy on the inside.

"I need a second to fill out this form, and you will be good to go," The man says as he scribbles away behind his desk. "And here we go all finished," He says handing our guild cards back. "Good luck out there."

I look around still feeling eyes on me, but I don't see who is watching me. All I can see are groups of adventures, either leaving or fighting for quests. I know someone is watching me, but I can't tell who it is.

"Is everything okay Suki?" I turn to see Amelara looking concerned at me.

"Everythings fine," I assure her. "It's probably nothing."

It probably is nothing and only just those jerks who called me a thief and tried to rob me sending a glare my way. It may also be because I am the only Catfolk I have seen in this city. I can't tell, but this feeling of being watched just won't go away. I hope those idiots from before aren't plotting anything against me.

"Shall we get going then?" Amelara asks, still looking worried but not pushing the subject.

"Sure," I nod, taking one last look around before we leave still unable to spot whoever is watching me.

* * *

The weather is perfect today, and I can't help but find it pleasant as we leave Embershire. It's warm but not too hot, and there's a refreshing breeze that blows through every thirty seconds or so. I hope this game doesn't have weather settings that make it, so some days are so hot that you are soaked with sweat from doing nothing but sitting down. I wouldn't say I like days like those, and I loathed them, even more, when I had to leave my home to do something. I wished on days like them when that I could just take the day off, but I knew I never could. I can only hope that the weather never changes from this during my time in this world.

"Oh look there's The Mayflower!" Amelara suddenly jumps up and down, shouting and point high into the air.

I follow her finger and spot what appears to be a flying ship. I stop in my tracks, shocked at what I am seeing. It's a wooden sailing ship with three masks holding up sails and two wings flapping on either side apparently keeping it afloat. I can barely make out many details other than the sailes and wings are white, and the ship is painted blue. Besides the ships flying around them, I also see several smaller objects that look like horses escorting the Mayflower.

"That's the King's personal ship, and he even has The Pegasus Knights escorting him!" Amelara continues to call out the sights as the flying ships and knights pass overhead. "I wonder what he's doing here. Do you think he is in town right now?"

"I don't know," I tell her still watching the ship. "For now, we should focus on our quest and figure things out later."

"Right," Amelara sighs looking down. "Sorry I just got distracted."

"It's okay let's just finish up this quest and then we can go and see if the king is in town."

"Really?" I nod my head feeling like I am spoiling her too much.

Soon we have passed through the wheatfields, and apart from a few farmers and a group of traders, we don't see anyone along the way. The countryside in this world really is quiet, and I can see why with this being a game world and with the threat of monsters, but this area is starting to feel a little lonely. We do finally come across some people about twenty minutes later as a fancy-looking charge escorted by four armoured knights passes by us heading for the city. Judging from the fact that this carriage has an emblem of a raven and the armed escort, I say the person in the carriage is a noble of some sorts.

"Looks like the king really may be in town," I comment watching the carriage go by.

"Yeah," Amelara's replay is barely a whisper, and when I turn to look at her, I see all that excitement from early vanish. "Let's just get our quest over with I need a drink."

What's going on with her? I want to ask, but from the way she picks up the pace, I doubt I will get an answer. I hope she will open up more when she has that drink.

* * *

Petal Spring is closer to Embershire then the Warthog Forest, so it doesn't take us as long to walk there and looking at the place I can tell getting lost is something we don't need to worry about. Neither the less I set a waypoint so we can find our way out.

The trees here aren't as thickly packed together as they were in the Warthog Forest and their trunks aren't as thick, but the place is a much more beautiful sight. The leaves range in shade from pink to red and gently float down all around us. I can hear birds seeing and smell the pleasant scent of the place feeling entirely at ease in this place. If it weren't for the fact that there are dangerous monsters somewhere nearby Petal Spring would be the perfect place for a picnic. But despite all what's around her I see Amelara is still looking down. It has something to do with that carriage that passed us. Ever since then, she has been feeling down. I was about to bring up the subject only to notice my friend has already started to walk on ahead.

"The information provided with the quest said the Vilebug's should be this way," Amelara says forging her way through the trees towards the sound of running water in the distance. "Let's quest this quest over with quickly."

"Okay," I reply struggling to keep pace with her. I want her to talk to me, to tell me what's wrong but I can't figure out how to go about it. Some friend I am who can even be there for someone in their time of need. I hate being this helpless, and in the end, I can't stop myself from reaching out and grabbing her hand. "Amelara wait."

"What?" I have never heard her speak that harshly before.

Where has that friendly girl I have come to know gone? Stopping in our tracks, I still can't say anything as Amelara turns to face me. What is wrong with her? What could be eating her away inside to make the friendly girl who is always full of energy act this way?

"Amelara what…" I don't get to finish as a fireball shoots between us.

We don't think but react as Amelara aims her bow in the direction the spell came from while I draw my sword. To my surprise, I see what appears to be a cartoon ghost floating between the trees with a pure white body and black face. Its eyes are bright red, and a pink tongue hangs from its mouth. Beside me, I can feel Amelara pulling back her bowstring, but before she can fire the cartoon ghost disappears.

"I know you hear so come out already!" Amelara calls out lowing her bow and scanning the trees around her. I do the same. I don't know who I am looking for, but I don't doubt the fact that we are not alone out here. "Enough of your hiding! Show yourself before I start shooting arrows blindly into the trees!"

 **"Clap! Clap! Clap!"** I hear claiming accompanied by a light chuckling.

"Well, I see you haven't changed Amelara." Out from behind one of the thicker tree trunks steps that handsome knight-like man I who killed that rabbit yesterday and appeared at the guild today. Clapping and stepping into the open he smiles at us as I hear Amelara let out a growl and feel her tense up. "It's been two years, and you still can't stand the sight of me."

"Come to steal more money, Neale?" Amelara asks, dropping her bow and clenching her fists looking ready for a fight.

Is this what has been bothering her? What could he have done to her to make Amelara act this way?

"I admit what my father did was disgraceful, but I can assure you I had nothing to do with that business," He calmly tells her. "Listen I didn't come here to fight you, but I have been ordered to assure you return safely to Embershire after you complete this quest and as you can see.." He points behind us where we see a burned Vilebug clearly struck by that fireball from earlier. "You need my help."

"We don't need anything from you," Amelara replies as she bends down to pick up her bow. "Come on Suki we are leaving this thief to find his own way back."

"I'm afraid I can't leave you," He says as I hear his footsteps keeping pace with ours. "Kings orders."

"Damit," Amelara curses stopping in her tracks.

"He wants to see both of you and asked me to assure that you arrive safely back to the guild building," Neale explains. "So I suggest we put aside our differences and just get this over with so we can go our separate ways as soon as possible." Amelara starts to walk again, pulling me along with her as I hear the knight-like man mutter. "You aren't the only one who dislikes this arrangement."

It doesn't take us long to find the rest of the Vilebug's as they are all together next to a picture-perfect pool of water covered in the leaves of the surrounding trees. It's a shame that monsters live here because the sight alone is enough to reinforce my early thoughts of this place being perfect for picnics.

"Don't mind me," I hear Neale say and turn to see him leaning against a nearby tree. "I'll let you two take care of them and come to your rescue if you need it."

He's like a different person as well. I don't know whether the man who gracefully assured everyone the situation was under control yesterday when a monster entered the city is the real him or if he changes his personality around Amelara as she has in his presence. What happened between these two? Unfortunately, as much as I want to know, I have a group of monsters to take care of.

The Vilebug's haven't noticed us yet at least as they drink from the pool of water, so we still have the element of surprise. Unfortunate looking over to Amelara I can only watch as she blows that advantage firing an arrow which kills one of the Vilebug's but alerts the others to the danger before we are prepared to deal with them. She really needs to put aside what happened in the past with Neale before she gets us both killed.

I don't bother communicating with Amelara as I charge already knowing she won't listen in the mood she's in. As I rush forward, I see another Vilebug die by Amelara's arrows, and I quickly kill another one by slicing it in two. As I thought when viewing the quest information, these things aren't so tough. Still, their numbers are making things complicated as I quickly find myself surrounded despite Amelara downing another of the Vilebug's.

"I guess you two will need me after all," Neale sighs pushing himself off of the tree trunk and raising his hand, so the palm of it is facing me. "Come forth and aid me, Blessed Dog!"

Both Amelara and I watch as a bright white light engulfs his hand opening up a portal in front of him. Even the Vilebug's freeze at the sight. Soon I can hear the barking of a dog, and when the light fades, I see a white dog with a halo above its head stood in front of Neale. Where did that dog even come from? Did it have something to do with what Neale just said?

"We don't need your help!" Amelara yells as the Vilebug's start moving again and I narrowly dodge their attack.

"I beg to differ, and from the looks of things I'm sure your friend could use my help," Neale says, and I feel so useless when I see him pointing my way before he turns to the newly arrived dog. "Devour those monsters."

The dog barks once in confirmation before charging in and quickly biting one of the Vilebug's to death. Clearly satisfied with what is happening I see Neale turn to Amelara with a smirk on his lips before I am forced to look away as I need to dodge another attack from the monsters. I wish those two would work together at least until we get through this.

"We could have handled it without you," I hear Amelara reply as I stab into a Vilebug calming my second kills and seconds later I see Amelara's arrow bring down the final Vilebug. "We had everything under control."

"You could have fooled me," Neale tells her, but I am paying more attention to the dog which fades away the same way that cartoon ghost had.

**"Victory."**

**"Exp: 120."**

**"Items Dropped: Vilebug Meat X12."**

For once, I am grateful for the distraction of the popup as I hear both Amelara and Neale start to argue about something.

* * *

The walk back to Embershire is painful and awkward as the closes thing to a conversation that happens during the journey is when Amelara and Neale argue about something. I am starting to get sick of it as it appears the two of them disagree on everything no matter how small and insignificant it may be. The only good thing about this is the fact that I learned a bit more about what they are fighting about.

Apparently, five years ago, Neale's father came to Amelara's village with Neale, and she and Neale became close friends. Unfortunately for them, it seems Neale's father isn't a good person as he ripped off the village buying their goods for only a fraction of what they were worth which is something Neale doesn't deny. Ever since then both Amelara and Neale have been at each other's throats every time they meet. I never knew Amelara was hiding such anger under her friendly personality until now.

"At least we are finally here," Neale mutters under his breath.

"For once I agree with you," Amelara grumbles. "Let us see the king then leave each other alone."


End file.
